By: Jeremy Anderson Posted at: 04/22/2013 03:13 PM OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - A group that supports the Keystone XL pipeline says it has collected more than 33,000 signatures from Nebraska residents who endorse the project.

Nebraskans for Jobs & Energy Independence says it gathered the signatures to persuade the U.S. State Department to approve the project. The group says it partnered with the Consumer Energy Alliance, an industry-backed group that is pushing for federal approval.

The proposed Keystone XL pipeline would deliver 830,000 barrels of U.S. and Canadian crude oil per day to Texas Gulf Coast refineries. Several polls have shown a majority of Nebraska residents support the project, despite opposition from environmental advocates as well as some landowners. The project requires U.S. State Department approval because it crosses an international border.